Red Soul (Akai tamashi 赤い魂)
by Strawwwberrylollipop
Summary: After Kagura and Soyo-Hime ran away from the Edo-castle, Gintoki and Shinpachi were bound to take the consequences, leading them running into an assassin. But never did Gintoki thought that the assassin would be a person he least expected. (OC) Set after the Ikkoku Kesei arc. Warning: May contain swearing.
1. A surprise guest isn't a surprise guest

**Summary:** After Kagura and Soyo-Hime ran away from the Edo-castle, Gintoki and Shinpachi were bound to take the consequences, leading them running into an assassin. But never did Gintoki thought that the assassin would be the person he least expected. (OC) Set after the Ikkoku Kesei arc. Warning: May contain swearing.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, Humor

* * *

**Red Soul (Akai tamashi 赤の魂)**

First Chapter.

~A surprise guest isn't a surprise guest if it doesn't surprisingly piss you off~

The light has finally passed the dark clouds, illuminating dimly the chaotic streets of Kabukicho. It has been raining for weeks, even there were moments like these when the sun shows itself behind the grey motionless clouds, the next second it has gotten all dark in the town and the clouds had covered the sky.

Despite this hollow-like atmosphere growing in the town, there are people roaming around the streets actively as they always had been. But the special thing in Kabukicho today is the white uniformed _Bakufu no ken_ in wrong territory, probably looking for something, taking attention to the way they are running around town causing agitation to civilians.

But there are certain two with silver hair and glasses missing all that hassle in Odd Jobs house, without knowing that the real deal is coming for them..

"Gin-chan! Gin-chan! I have a surprise guest for you!" A young yato-girl dashes inside into _Yorozuya_-house, dragging someone with her.

Inside the little humble apartment, there is a natural-permed samurai sitting behind his desk, bare feet crossed on top of the desk and the hand which is not picking his nose at the time, is holding his favorite magazine, Jump. At the same time a teenager with glasses is cleaning the messes of a certain duo, like always.

As soon as Kagura appears in loudly, the two members of Yorozuya turn their gazes to look at her- not because they are interested in her daily surprisingly big demands and troublesome ideas, but today she really seems to be having company. The red-haired girl pulls out her companion in front of the male duo, so they could see..

And when they see that 'surprise guest' both of their jaw drops open widely. A surprise guest indeed, their eyes almost pop out! This cannot be real, there must be a crack in Shinpachi's glasses and Gintoki must have been watching too much television.. right?! After the male duo finally stopped rubbing their eyes, they realize that nothing has changed. No, Shinpachi's glasses are fine and Gintoki hasn't watched too much Ketsuno Ana's broadcasts.. Yeah, this is reality, the companion with Kagura is..

"It's nice to meet you again, Gin-chan and Pachi-boy-san."

It's the young princess; the little sister of current Shogun, smiling really sweetly at the older male duo, who cannot really believe that her highness had really come into their little pigpen. They knew Kagura was an airhead, but this? This is going far beyond that, oi!

"H-Hime-sama?!" the younger one of the male duo shouted, surprised.

The last time they had seen this young princess was a while ago, when they attacked the Edo castle and caused lots of trouble there and in the end her uncle- the former Shogun died, but who cares anyway? The only notable thing they had done for Soyo-Hime was helping her guardian, Rotten Maizou and she was grateful to Odd Jobs for that.

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" Shinpachi asks hastily through his mind-storm, but then he shuts his mouth in order to stop asking rude questions, she's a princess God sakes!

The princess should stay in her castle and must not leave, without a great amount of guardians and protection, but here she is standing surrounded by the most dangerous people around Kabukicho, as if she would want to make everyone in that apartment commit _seppuku_. I-Is that the reason she came here? Maybe she wants revenge for what they had done to her uncle after all.

"Kagura-chan and I ran from home, I got fed up with being locked up in that castle." Soyo-Hime tells them while smiling, even the story sounds more like tragic bird-in-cage story.

Kagura nods at the same time really complacent, as if she was a saint who set the pitiful bird free. Oi, oi. This wasn't going to be seppuku; the execution they avoided last time was now prowling at them, definitely going to catch their heads now!

"WHAT?! Kagura-chan, you did that?! You want us all to get executed?!" Shinpachi yells, still not believing this being real.

Kagura was warned many times by Shinpachi, when she went to visit the Shogunate. He had told Kagura that these people were not the people you could mess with, just a little accidental mistake can cause your death. Instead of little accidental mistake, she helped the princess to escape!

Anyone can read this situation as kidnapping, but this red-head doesn't give a crap at all. She is looking down at Shinpachi arrogantly, as if she was never more right.

"Get executed, you worthless megane." Kagura tells him, cruelly while picking her nose barbarically.

"What the-?!"

"Calm down, _megane_." The oldest one in the room pulls Shinpachi to corner. "Think about it clearly." He whispers to Shinpachi. "Kagura might be doing us a favor."

"A favor?! Is causing our deaths a favor to you, Gin-san?" Shinpachi replies with a louder voice.

"You're not thinking, Pattsuan!" the fish-eyed samurai hits the younger male in the back of the head. "The princess has disappeared and everyone is looking for her in despair, until Yorozuya, that means us-"

"I think I got that part."

"-the heroes find her! Can you imagine how much money we will get from that?! We won't be thinking of paying the rent for a while- no, we won't think about the rent or that old hag anymore!"

"Eh? But what about Kagura? She was the one who helped Hime-sama run away, I don't think she'll get easily over this, Gin-san."

"Nah, she ends up in jail for a couple of years, but there's nothing better than learning from your mistakes and taking responsibility, those are the steps towards growing and being an adult, Shimura-kun."

"No, I think she'll get executed from that."

"As I said, taking responsibility is the best way to become an adult, Shimura-kun! Kagura will die happily knowing this- Shinpachi.. What is this feeling?"

"What? A feeling? What kind of feeling?"

"I don't know, as if someone is going to rip our head off and feed it off to hungry street-dogs.."

What they didn't know was that their conversation can be heard by the girl, you can say that the girls didn't like what they heard, one of them got really furious and the male duo felt a deadly aura approaching them. Both of them turn their head to see the source of that murderous atmosphere and there was the young strong yato-girl walking towards them.

"What did you say Gin-chan? Say it again, are you planning on giving us away for money?" Kagura said with a low threatening voice as she rolled up her sleeves, in hopes she could beat them into senses.

Gintoki and Shinpachi can somehow sense what is approaching them, so they both start backing up really scared of those fists from that crazily strong yato-girl.

"N-No way, we would never do that.. Wh-What did you heard Kagura-chan?"

"Wh-Whatever you heard, you heard wrong, Kagura-sama!"

But for their unluckiness, Kagura ignores their attempts to defend themselves as she keeps rolling her sleeves up, making the guys quiver as they take steps back, trying to save their lives and mumbling useless defense, until their back went against the wall and they had nowhere to run off now that the monster was standing before them. She raised her first and the male duo closed their eyes, approaching their death. This is going to be definitely end for them, Kagura was really mad this time.

May Holy Elizabeth guide them peacefully to River Styx.

**~x~**

* * *

There is a certain organization that consists of Amanto-members and each one sits on top of a pillar in a black room, which is enlightened by cold colors. They are called the Tendoshu, the ones who hold the true power of Bakufu and control the Shogun, the way they want.

In a ship, they are floating on top of unaware citizens, very close to Samurai Land for a reason..

"Students of Yoshida Shouyo tend to cause problems, attacking the Edo castle and in the end succeed Shige Shige resign his position. They are really starting to become an eyesore to us, almost a disease building up in that Land." First of them talked.

"Not only that, the Hitotsubashi-faction is taking their place of this too."

"Just a little wrong movement and they will take the lead of Samurai Nation." Another said.

"But sending that near them, can you tell the messenger of the heavens, Yatagarasu? What will happen if _Aka Oni_ decides to oppose us?"

One in his knees is showing that he's hierarchically lower than the ones surrounding him. The messenger of heavens, the strongest assassin in Naraku is lowering his head.

"You should not worry for now. Unlike those howling demons of Yoshida Shouyo, that one Oni had sunk way down to Hell in silence long time ago."

**~x~**

* * *

"Aah~ it's time for me to take a break." One of the Mimawaragumi gatekeepers stretches his arm while yawning after a long shift. It's raining heavily, yet they are standing still and guarding the Mimiwaragumi headquarters.

"Just how long are you planning on staying here, idiot? Your shift ended long time ago." The other white uniformed cop sighs.

"But who else will guard the headquarters and besides, I have nothing better to do." He replies to his comrade as he takes his ringing phone out of his pocket and answer. "Ah, it's my darling." Yeah, his wife is calling him.

"Moshi moshi? Oh, I'm sorry darling, I can't come to your father's funeral today.." He tells his wife with a sad voice, as if he was really sorry for it.

"It seems you have much better things to do, oi!"

"Shh.. Shut up, she'll think I'm cheating on her."

"That's exactly what you're doing, you bastard! Just how lousy husband are you?!"

"Uhm, I think I have to stop for now darling. I'm deeply sorry I can't come, I have really important work to do." He excuses himself to his wife and stops the call, before she'll get suspicious. You know women if they get suspicious..

"No, I think you're not sorry at all and today's job is the least important for what we had for years."

He finally closed his phone and leaned his back against the gate. "What the hell are you saying, you idiot? Now that everyone is looking for Hime-sama, is the time we're most vulnerable. And now after that entire ruckus that happened in Edo-castle, this is the time we can make up our reputation and the least we can do as loyal subordinates is to stand under the rain and wait for our subordinates to get Hime-sama back.. Don't you think so?"

"Omae.."

"Then let's do our best and protect what we hold important!"

"H-Hai!"

And the next second, one of them takes a blow from a heavily clothed dark figure. Before the second cop gets to react, he'll get knocked off. The last thing he can remember is pair of scarlet-red eyes glaring at him and the unknown figure runs off.

**~x~**

* * *

"I wish you would give that Oni one chance. The potential it possesses is unseen. A demon which is loyal to heavens that looks up to us and is total blindfolded. "Oboro asks entreatingly for his superiors, which are surrounding him.

"Very well, the messenger of heavens, we will see if it can obey its orders unlike last time. If it repeats its mistakes, you will get rid of it." Resounded from one of the Amanto-leaders .

"Yes. I will."

"Then, start with eliminating the first pillar of Hitotsubashi faction.."

**~x~**

* * *

There they are the two members of Yorozuya. Lying in the floor half-conscious, still in pain after a certain yato-girl taught them a good lesson, just another reason why it would be better if they would've been born as a potato. After Kagura beat them, she took off with Soyo-Hime, leaving these two to deal with their pain.

But it didn't take too long for them to stay still, because some white uniformed men came in rushing into their apartment and besieged Shinpachi and Gintoki, making them confused. First getting beat up, now this?! They both knew that the author is going too far now!

That white uniform those men were wearing. They know that uniform, it is the Mimiwaragumi, the special police force that rivaled Shinsengumi and consisted of high-ranked samurai-men, in other words elites.

'M-Mimawaragumi?! G-Gin-san it's the Mimawaragumi! W-what are the Mimawaragumi doing here?!' Shinpachi yells surprised.

Gintoki furrows his brows and looks at the men with white uniforms, which look just as Shinsengumi's. Why are Mimawaragumi in their apartment and holding their swords against Gintoki and Shinpachi, they didn't commit any crime, did they? No, as far as they remember they had been behaving well, like model citizens! But then why are they being treated like this..

Oh, wait.. Something did happen before Mimawaragumi-men came in charging. Before that Kagura beat them into a pulp and if they recall right, they were beaten because of..

_'Are they charging in because of Hime-sama?!'_ Shinpachi widens his eyes and his mouth at the same time_. 'Gin-san they are here to find Hime-sama! They found about her this fast! We are in trouble! In a huge trouble Gin-san! They probably think we kidnapped her!'_

_'Calm down, Shinpachi-kun, there's no way they could know that in such a little amount of time! Th-They are probably just greeting us..!'_

Shinpachi turns his petrified glare to look at Gintoki, who is mind-linked with him, _'No matter how I look at this, it looks like they're going to arrest us!'_

And without any kind of warning, a man with long white trench coat who's clicking his phone non-stop came in. Sasaki Isaburo, the commander of Mimawaragumi had entered the Yorozuya-house! Gintoki's eyes widens surprised after seeing Sasaki Isaburo, his former mail-buddy coming in. This house wasn't meant for elites to visit, so why is the most elite of the elites showing their elite face here? Whatever the reason is, it's not good. And the Yorozuya duo knows that they know about Hime-sama. But the question was, how much do they exactly know?

"My apologies for disturbing, Shiroyasha-dono." Sasaki announced. "It hasn't been long time since we have seen, but I wish you could bear with my elite-ness for a while."

The silver-haired samurai tried to keep his face straight, so Sasaki wouldn't realize his part of the crime, while he stepped in front of the duo. Gintoki gulps nervously before facing the Commander of Mimawaragumi, who didn't even bother to turn away his similar fish-eyes from his phone to Gintoki.

"You're under arrest for kidnap of Tokugawa Soyo-hime, the younger sister of Shogun, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you and please don't resist; that'll only cause you more mishaps." Sasaki recites as he closes his phone.

At that moment Gintoki and Shinpachi just knew that everything from that day had gone terribly wrong.

And it was all Kagura's fault.

The male duo wanted to beat their cute heroine into pulp and make her drink all her vomit for sure, but that's not the case for now. They have to convince this monocle-using elite, that they're not kidnappers or done anything to deserve this.

"S-Sasaki-san, you've got it all wrong! W-We haven't done anything, we were here the whole day! Ask our neighbors, it's really the truth!"

"Your neighbors are the ones who spotted a Hime-sama coming here." Isaburo replies.

_'E-EEH?! They spotted Hime-sama here?! Just how can we explain this, Gin-san?!'_

_'Think again Shinpachi! We never left this apartment and Hime-sama isn't here! Remember? Kagura took off with her.'_

"B-But Hime-sama isn't here! You can even look for her, she's not here!" Gintoki tells his former mail-buddy desperately, trying to prove him wrong for no merits. And that can be seen by Isaburo's raised eyebrow signaling that he's not interested nor buying anything this silver-haired samurai says.

Isaburo tells his men to look around with a hand gesture and it took no long from them to start scattering and searching around the house. Shinpachi and Gintoki turned around to see the white uniformed cops, who had presumably scattered to find the young princess. One of them slams the door to Gintoki's room unnecessarily too hard and the Yorozuya duo take attention to the noises the cop is making in Gintoki's room. First they heard a thud, then a stronger thump.

"O-Oi! What was that noise?!" Gintoki asks nervously and aware that this man is breaking something in his room, but then it was followed by a louder crash and he takes a notice that his table was tossed to floor by one of these cops.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, bastard?!" Gintoki charges angry against the man, so he could protect the little property he owns. For these elite-bastards these luggage may be useless junk, but to this poor silver-haired Madao these are priceless luggage and if he lost them, that'd be money and to get money, he would need a job and working would mean another troublesome waste of time, because his costumers almost never pay him.

Just when Gintoki was about to take another step, a bullet was shot to the floor, very close where his next step would've been. Gintoki takes a step back, freaked out from the sudden bullet almost hitting his toes.

"Sakata-san, don't interfere with our investigation. It is you who said to search for Hime-sama from your apartment, wasn't it?" Sasaki points his gun threateningly at Shinpachi and Gintoki, if they would move they could as well welcome bullet to their arses.

"What part of this is investigation?! All you're doing is destroying my place!" Gintoki answers pissed off, a vein threatening to pop.

One of the Mimawaragumi slides the door open to the closet.. I mean Kagura's bedroom and throws sheets and Kagura's stuff to the floor harshly

"Ooi! Is this how elites do their investigation, seems like just common thugs to me! Why do you throw all the sheets to the floor?! It's not like Hime-sama could've been under those sheets!" Gintoki shouted really annoyed, while pointing at Isaburo.

And they heard another crash from the kitchen, but this time it sounded something really fragile. "No, don't break our plates! We can't eat without them!" Shinpachi sounds like a frightened mother who is pleading not to take his children away.. Well, that shouldn't be a wonder, since in the end it'll be him who has to clean all this mess.

Another white-uniformed man opens one of the cabinets and a person falls to the floor.. Only it wasn't the person they were looking for, but a crazy lavender-haired masochist, who wants to be punished. From all the places and times, she just had to fall to the ground all tied up, looking kidnapped and making the Yorozuya duo look like kidnappers. The young _kunoichi's_ breathes become all ragged after she was found in this humiliating condition. Gosh, she is only getting more aroused and all masochistic when she finds out everyone is looking at her, disgusted.

Gintoki's and Shinpachi's jaw drops open at the same time, second time this day, nothing this absurd have happened for a long time, where they could only state that everything just had gone badly wrong. The whole world is against them, so what for would they try to fight against it? Even if they would explain this woman to be a crazy stalker-masochist who locked herself in the cabinet, no one would believe them – they wouldn't believe even if she told them herself!

At that moment they knew, that they'll never forgive Kagura from all of this.

**~x~**

* * *

Our awesome hero-duo are sitting in the backseat of a patrol-car, arrested for something they haven't done. As Mimawaragumi were driving to the police-station, both of them were in gloomy mood looking down at the handcuffs in their hands. Gintoki is thinking about how his dear Jump was left without being finished and won't be finished for a very long time. Shinpachi, of course was having bigger concerns, because unlike Gintoki he never end up in jail nor was he ever arrested-expect when he was in Edo-castle. The worst thing he can think of is his sister and how will she react. Just thinking about the smile across her face, while beating him into pulp, sends shivers to his spine. Both of them are sweating nervously for their own reasons, while looking their uncomfortable handcuffs around their wrists.

Two policecars are driving with them, one below them and another one behind them, ruining their smallest chance to escape. Sasaki Isaburo on the other hand is sitting in the front seat, next to the driver and clicking his phone endlessly, when Gintoki and Shinpachi feel like high-classed criminals that needed an army to take them to the police-station.

"I'm quite surprised that you haven't resisted, Sakata-san. I suppose that you're not going to deny that Hime-sama was kidnapped by you." Isaburo says in his typically blank voice, while keeping his eyes on his phone-screen.

"But she wasn't!" the glasses-wearing teenager tries to defend them to the end, with no merit.

"Forget about it, Shinpachi. We're doomed to be executed for Hime-sama's kidnapping." Gintoki tells him in a very gloomy tone, giving up on hope. They might as well execute him for not letting him read his Jump.

"But Gin-san, they didn't even find a trace about Hime-sama! How can you be sure, if the neighbors just mistook her for someone else?!" Shinpachi exclaims loudly.

"Your third member is running around town, Hime-sama as her captive."

And who was their third member? This makes Gintoki facepalm for Kagura's one of the stupidest deed ever. Yes, this is even more stupid compared to when she tried benji-jump of the terminal. Just who the hell escapes with a princess and roams around that dangerous district? Shinpachi's defense gets stuck in his throat, there's nothing for him to say after that.

Finally, the white Mimawaragumi police cars stops in front of the police-station, accompanied by two other police cars and the driver opens the door for Gintoki and Shinpachi, who got up as gloomy as they got there. Shinpachi lets out a deep sigh after getting out of the car, behind Gintoki. This just reminds him when they got captured in Edo-castle and almost got executed, but then everything was different. Still, he isn't somehow as concerned as a normal person should be, not since he had survived the craziest things after joining the Yorozuya.

The Yorozuya duo sees a big elite building which is appropriate for this elite police-force, extensive and presumably had been hired a high-classed amanto-architect to design it. Very different compared to Shinsengumi's houses, which suit pretty well to a dirty low-classed men like themselves.

A tall steely gate is standing steadily in front of them, protecting the building from sneaky thugs or terrorists. The cops who parked before them had gotten in already without Sasaki Isaburo, that is why Isaburo doesn't think too much of it when the gate is partly open and there's no guardians.. Although, it's unusual for his men to behave this way, but now that he has Shiroyasha with him, he is not giving only his full attention to him- but making sure that everything goes fine surely and flawlessly. This man is the one who invaded the Edo-castle and ruined his plan during the Barakagi-arc, he deserves all of that attention.

Isaburo closes his phone and shoves it into his pocket and after that guides the rest of his men and the criminals in the building, but then he realizes that the entrance to the building is open and that the gap is too prominent to be an accident. Moreover, the gate was open too. So who repeats his mistakes twice? At this moment Isaburo is sure that something is seriously wrong here, he stops guarding the duo for a moment and walks before everyone into the building cautiously but determinedly. While the criminals and men are following the commander of Mimawaragumi, they enter the building and amazing scenery is set before them.

There where the tall and well painted walls were colored with red liquid and countless uniformed men lying in the ground, probably the source of the red color which is now draining against the wall. It looks as if the angel of death had come and took a visit here, but seeing those abused bodies of the victims and their white uniform disgraced with red blood, it is obvious that only a human would sink this low and not any human, a cold assassin who only cares about getting his job done.

The next second their eyes caught this ugly sight, Shinpachi gasps from fright and shock, when Gintoki goes immediately on his guard. This silver-haired samurai has been in many battles and nobody has to tell him that there's absolutely a big threat nearby. Isaburo on the other hand walks forward blankly not affected in any way from the sight of his men dead. The thing in his mind at the time is, the one who caused this. On the second thought, Isaburo highly doubts only one person caused this, no one is stupid enough to come alone in a place which is full of samurais and try to kill them. Sasaki steps over one of his bloodied men and keeps his eyes facing his front. Yes, it is obvious only a skilled group of assassins had caused this, the only question is.. Who? Who had sent an assassin to wipe off the Mimawaragumi off? Isaburo squints his eyes, thinking narrowly, did _they_ finally decided to do the first move?

"Wh-What on earth..?" The young megane, who's inexperienced seeing dead people, is surprised to see that Mimawaragumi was attacked like this.

Sasaki Isaburo keeps his mind sharp as a razor and takes attention to every move and sound nearby, so every chance of a trap could be noticed. As he keeps his guard up, with only a gesture tells the men what to do and as if they were reading their Commander's mind, everyone scatters to do what they're supposed to do. Part of them went ahead of their Commander to clear the path and the rest of the men would check on their fallen comrades.

"All of them have a weak pulse, sir." One of the man reports.

Isaburo almost furrows his brows in confusion, an assassin who did not finish these men.. Is this some kind of message? Or did the mission failed between them.. Isaburo Sasaki even started to question had there even been assassins in the first place?

"Oi, oi. What happened here?" Gintoki steps over an unconscious cop and walks next to Isaburo. "As if a war broke here… It seems you have much better things to do than arrest innocent citizens, how about if you take these handcuffs off, huh?" Gintoki tries to talk to a wall, because Isaburo Sasaki is certainly now in his own little world and even though he was willing to give all his attention to Gintoki, the situation has gotten different now.

The men he sent earlier to clear the path didn't return, even though they weren't supposed to take much time. As if that long hall had swallowed them into nothingness and that totally certifies, the ones who caused this is still around here. Not only that, these half-assed assassins who didn't even bother to kill his men properly, seem to be close enough to be facing them anytime.

"Oi! Don't ignore me!"

Isaburo stops on his track. He was right. He could feel someone facing him right at the moment, so he raises his look to face another glare. The silver-haired samurai turns his face up from his annoying handcuffs to see a rather dark figure in front of him, even though it was bright there. Shinpachi and the other men stop next as they see their leaders looking ahead, quietly. Now they all see a person walking towards them with black clothing covering that body, known as _shinobi shozoku_ and it has visible spatters of blood dripping down to the ground, only proving that this person is one or one of those, who caused this. As soon as the person wearing ninja-suit noticed more bakufu dogs, stopped right on tracks and the soles of the blood-soaked feet leaves their last splattering blood-print on the clean floor.

For moments, they only kept watching each other without words or either side doing the first move. Isaburo knows that there's no need for words, whatever he would say would not change the situation nor would this assassin even listen to him. He also knows that this assassin's red bright eyes is studying him and his men right now thoroughly. Next they just kept staring the commander of the Mimawaragumi with an intense look. As if they were saying, 'You are my target. You must die.' Indeed, there was no need for words.

Shinpachi's legs had gotten weak just looking at that person, who was covered from everywhere except pair of sharp eyes glaring. He turns to see the man these red eyes kept looking at and saw Isaburo staring in his usual blank way, as if there's nothing wrong seeing an assassin who's soaked in blood, looking at you silently and God knows what going through this red-eyed's mind- like this was a daily routine.

The unknown person with a gloomy appearance takes out a short sword out of the belt of the ninja-suit. The sword was already dirtied by blood and the length of the sword appears to be more a _wakizashi_ than a _katana_ and it's now pulled to the side of the assassin threateningly. With that the men behind Sasaki Isaburo seized their swords, ready to attack and the next second, knowing what their Commander wanted attack all at once against the mysterious person before them. With one force, they attack the ninja-suited person who kept steadily in place, showing no signs of moving away.

Five uniformed man hit one target with all their force in order to slay their opponent. For a moment there was only a silence, then plenty of blood spills in the air fiercely. Shinpachi's squinted his brown eyes, trying to separate whose blood was spilled, until the men wearing white uniforms collapsed to the floor. But the one with the wakizashi disappeared from the sight of the remaining men, those had not been slayed.. for now.

And these brown eyes widens with major shock as the next second, he notices a ninja between him and Isaburo, back against Shinpachi, telling him that the only ones this assassin is after are the cops of the Mimawaragumi. Isaburo grabs the scabbard of his sword and intents to draw it, but is not making it at time, as a wakizashi was falling down to slay him. The young teen aged samurai retreats impetuously, frightened of this killer and wondering why the blood isn't spilling, even though that wakizashi had obviously hit Sasaki Isaburo.

Two pair of red eyes meet. One was crimson fish-eyed and looking blank, when the other were brighter and showing an ominous killing-intent. Gintoki smirks slightly, glad that he made between this mysterious assassin and Sasaki Isaburo on time for the hit would have been enough to slay any man, because it even cut through Gintoki's handcuff easily.

"Oh, thank you for releasing me from these handcuffs.. They were killing my wrists." Gintoki complains, while looking at his festered wrists.

Shinpachi's jaw drops open in confusion, after seeing his leader jumping between an assassin and a cop. Who the hell does that just to get free from a handcuff?! This man is no better than that crazy yato-girl who kidnapped the Hime-sama. Isaburo turns around to look at this man, not expecting less from Shiroyasha, who has no fear to do anything he wants. Still, Isaburo doesn't believe he owns anything to him, and hence he watches this person who tried to kill him.

The red-eyed takes a step back, noticing another threat below. After that takes another sword, only a clean one, showing that it isn't used. Two wakizashis in the hands of this red-eyed assassin, faces now the man who got in the way.

"Oi, what are you planning to do with those?" Gintoki points out the wakizashis in the hands of the ninja-assassin with a blank expression.

"You see, I don't want fight. Whatever this police did to deserve this, is none of my business. As I said, I just wanted to break free from these cuffs." He explains calmly, maybe too calm that it seems he's not even serious or just too lazy.

The assassin before him raises a brow in disbelief after hitting this silver-haired man, who easily blocked the attack with his wooden sword, even though there was no warning this attack was approaching him. At a split second, the red-eyed took out the other wakizashi and planted another hit, almost landing on Gintoki's temple.. But it never landed. The assassin squinted those red eyes in confusion, for the cut that should have landed on this man never hit him. Gintoki in his side was confused too, since the hit he was planning on dodging at the time never got there, seemingly the assassin hadn't completed the dangerous hit.

At this both of them, turned to look at the sword and the hand which is struggling to land the hit. The right hand of the assassin is not moving forward to hurt this silver-haired samurai, nor is it moving back to retreat the hit, as if the assassin was fighting whether the hit should be planted or retreat it.

Cleaning the confusion, he kicks the assassin before him off, away from him and the strong hit sends the assassin against the wall. The red-eyed assassin falls on knees, holding the stomach which was kicked in pain, looking with different look at Gintoki. Those eyes which were just intense and evil-looking look uncertain and confused.

"Have I.. met you before?"

Again their eyes meet and as Gintoki sees assassin every resolve crumbling before him. The ninja-suited person before him stands up, grabs the two wakizashis and escapes from the place, outside the world.

"Wait..!" Gintoki chases the escaping assassin, but after he reaches outside, he notices that the person he was running after left leaving no traces from before.

Shinpachi follows his leader, who had ran after a killer-ninja, really wondering of what Gintoki had asked the ninja, probably thinking that the assassin was somehow familiar- he knew that Gintoki knew lots of people around, but a killer? Shinpachi reached his silver-haired boss, who had stopped before the entrance door. "Gin-san, do you know that person?"

The perm-headed samurai looks around for a moment, to find the red-eyed ninja. No, he doubts that the person he fought just now was a ninja. The movements that assassin had weren't light and witty like those that belonged to a ninja. They were more heavy and working on mere instincts like a samurai's. Was that person a ninja-clothed samurai?

"No, I don't know.. But still, there was something really familiar in that person, right?" He asks Shinpachi to confirm, that he's not the only one thinking so.

Shinpachi furrows his brows, thinking of all the faces he knows, but nothing like those red eyes with a ninja clothes comes in his mind. Gintoki on the other hand turns his face up to look at the cloudy sky, which seems like that in any moment those clouds could burst raindrops. He feels as something important has been forgotten, like throwing the carton of the ice cream to trash without licking it first. As that feeling is creeping into him, he keeps thinking what on earth had he forgotten? Not only that, the assassin was acting weird too.

At the same exact time the one who escaped from the police-station, is thinking the same thing. Something had gone badly wrong, how could an assassin who was educated to kill without hesitation is feeling uncertain, just because of an unexpected intruder. They were trained into these kind of situations and even more inconvenient situations than this. After stopping on top of a roof, the assassin stopped on tracks and raised that hand, which resisted hitting that silver-haired man. They were still shaking uncontrollably. Remembering that time after the red-eyed met with fish-eyed, an unknown strong feeling built up in the stomach which was kicked by the silver haired samurai before. It was fear, this is what the supposed assassin was feeling. And how could that be possible, this person doesn't understand, a mere intruder got the assassin scared. What is it in this silver-haired man that got this red-eyed, a member of Tenshoin Naraku frightened? Just a look and he got the Aka Oni, shiver from fear and escape the whole place? Humiliating is not enough to describe what it is.

Red-eyed Oni takes off the hood which was covering long coffee-brown ponytail and the black mask covering the face-features, letting the cold air run threw that warmed face. Then the scarlet eyes close, which is tickled by long bangs. After a while, taking a breath and getting calm, a decision is made. A decision to get away from that lingering feeling as if something important was forgotten.

It was time to gain back what was forgotten.

**~x~**

* * *

"Yosha! Place your bets, odd or even?!"

"Odd!"

"Odd!"

"Even!" an enthusiastic yato-girl exclaims.

"Then I'll take even too." The princess who sits next to her says, more calmly than anyone in this room and a smile across her face.

"Odd!"

"Even.."

"The bets are down. Snake eyes." The man who acts as a judge says and pulls out the cup off the two dice on top of the wooden base. "That'll be even!"

"Yahooo!" A young red-headed yato-girl cheers from happiness and raises her hands up victoriously.

Soyo chuckles slightly after seeing her silly friend jumping from happiness, so happy for receiving money by gambling. In fact, this wasn't their first time they gambled and remembering the last time she was free and walking around like a normal citizen, makes her want it to last forever.

They had rushed to stores, would it be buying _sukonbu_ or playing games, but mainly having fun and never realizing that it was cloudy and thunderclouds were building in the sky. A mere rain can't stop these two from having fun, it had been long since they had a chance to roam around freely.

Soyo and Kagura are giggling, while walking down the streets and being sheltered by a purple umbrella from tiny raindrops that had started falling a moment ago.

"As I thought, Kagura-chan knows a lot." Soyo smiles in the middle of their conversation. "I still have lots of things I should learn from you." She chuckles.

Kagura answers with a smile that is more wide and bold. "Yeah." But then she remembers the source of her all knowledge, from Gin-chan, who was so eager to sell Soyo and Kagura to the cops for money. She does know the need Gin-chan has for money, for he's poor and a Madao, but to sell your own friend for money had gone too far. "To think all my information is from that idiot perm." Kagura sulks.

"Kagura-chan.. Don't you think just then you went a little too hard on them?" Soyo asks softly and the way Kagura had beaten her poor friends pops to her mind.

"Not at all! You heard what they were saying, it serves them right uh-huh!" Kagura exclaims, still annoyed and even thinks that she should have punched them few more times.

Soyo furrows her dark brows while looking at her red-headed friend, but never continues in the subject, for there could be a tiny possibility their disagreements could lead to an argument. Even she was feeling guilty to be the reason why Kagura got in fight with her friends, she still didn't want to get in a fight with her only friend. As a princess, she didn't have much friends, so she couldn't afford losing her.

Both of them quiet and walking through the streets, the atmosphere between the two girlfriend turns fitting with the rainy sky and the only thing that can be heard is raindrops accompanied with their steps.

It didn't take too long when both of them stop taking steps, after seeing a dark feature standing in the middle of the street, motionless face towards the grey clouds. The person standing in the rain, looks very sad and lonely in Kagura's opinion and it won't take too long for her to go ask what had happened to the person, standing there who looks like as if waiting for a lightning to strike.

"W-Wait.. Kagura-chan!" Soyo runs after her friend, thinking that talking to strangers was an absolutely a bad idea.

Kagura reaches the person, to see the features of the lonely-looking person. Long spiky brown hair tied in a ponytail, black ninja-like clothes that are wet from water and blood- to Kagura this person could have come from a war recently.

"Oi, are you alright? You look like a big mess there." the yato-girl asks rudely, walking facing the person ahead of her. After that, Soyo runs beside her bold friend, uncertain and scared of the mysterious and dark person.

A red look lowers from the sky to watch a young two, who're standing and still waiting for an answer. Watching with a blank look at the two youngsters, the person before starts to dig the pockets and pulls out a little paper before them.

"Have you ever seen this man?" The person asks in a feminine tone, but a deep enough to belong to a man.

Kagura and Soyo took a glance of the picture the person holds, whose gender is still a mystery. The picture gets wet slowly by the raindrops and after looking the picture a bit, the duo were sure now that they're unaware of the man in the picture.

"No." Kagura answers, then Soyo shakes her head, telling the unknown person being unaware too.

A hand pulls the picture back to the pocket it came out from and the red eyes turn away from the girl to opposite way, losing all the interest in these two kids, then walk away from the girls.

"You're looking for that man? If you need to, we can give you a hand!" Kagura shouts after the red-eyed person. After what she said the ninja-suited person stops immediately and turns around to only meet pair of bright-blue eyes that are full of life.

The red-eyed person returns to them, still expressionless but hopeless shows to Kagura that is willing to take help by them.

"I jack-of-all-trades, Kagura know lots of people from all over this town, we can help you to find these man, if that is what you want uh-huh!" she says in a cheerful tone while smiling, almost bringing a sun to this rainy day.

The pony-tailed person before them nods slightly, with a blank face but looks enough grateful in Kagura to notice. This makes her smile, thinking that maybe this person is just shy. Soyo in the other hand still thinks this person to be frightening, for the blood stained clothes.

"So, what's your name?"

"Miyako.."

**~End of first chapter~**

* * *

_bakufu no ken- aka The dogs of Bakufu by the Jouishishi,_

_seppuku- "stomach cutting" is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment_

_Yorozuya- meaning the Odd jobbs_

_Aka oni- Red demon_

_megane- glasses_

_kunoichi- a female ninja_

_shinobi shozoku- is a type of dark-coloured keikogi clothing_

_wakizashi- a side inserted sword which's blade is 30-60cm_

_katana- Japanese sword, worn by samurai class of feudal Japan._

_sukonbu- pickled seaweed._

* * *

**A/N:** Wrote this for fun :3 I got my inspiration from _Truth _by _Kurasuchi_ and _Steels and Blossoms _by _Niente de Nada_ and of course Gintama itself! If you haven't read one or another from those stories, you should go and check them! But thank you for reading this, and I really hope you enjoyed this.

**Thanks to**:

**Clio S.**- for all the support and help

**Kurasuchi**- for helping me with the plot

**Kirausa**- for all the support and giving me inspiration!

**Noniebee**- for the ideas

and **Anna Banana** for Beta reading

Now that you have read this, you may go review and tell me what you think. Criticism is welcome!

**~x~**


	2. There's nothing as cute as two brats sha

**Summary:** After Kagura and Soyo-Hime ran away from the Edo-castle, Gintoki and Shinpachi were bound to take the consequences, leading them running into an assassin. But never did Gintoki thought that the assassin would be the person he least expected. (OC) Set after the Ikkoku Kesei arc.

**Warning:** May contain swearing.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, Humor

**A/N:** Yes, it takes me very long to update these chapters, hope you can bear with me. Thank you very much for the reviews, they made up my whole week! *squirms from happiness* And yeah, I decided to change my writings to past-tense, I hope you don't find it confusing or anything. Anyways, I shall stop pestering and I wish you enjoy reading the second chapter.

* * *

**Red Soul (Akai tamashi 赤の魂)**

Second Chapter

~There's nothing as cute as two brats sharing one umbrella~

Rain was falling quietly and lightly to the ground. There, the woman walked with nothing but her obsidian colored clothes which was reduced to a bloodstained mess to protect her from the gentle falling of raindrops that quickly dissolve in its black and red fabric; but as she walked longer, the drizzle slowly but surely washed her clothes back to its original color.

"Miyako-chan, was it?" Kagura asked, trying to create meaningless conversation to the quiet day, which was just a moment ago really lively with her Soyo-chan.

The woman named Miyako, a long, brown, ponytailed person nodded slightly, looking elsewhere and avoiding eye-contact with the two girls. But this only got the red-headed girl wondering, for this heavily clothed woman doesn't look angry or sad; she seemed like just someone with a few words. Kagura decided to think that 'it' is a she, since a name like that is for a woman, presumably. And now when she looked at Miyako more closely, there are very much feminine features on her, like her small jawbone and full cheeks, which she noticed to have pale scars. Red eyes turned to glare at pair of blue orbs, which were staring at her at the moment.

Kagura shook her head and looked away a bit embarrassed to be caught for staring the stranger, as if she had never seen a ninja covered in blood and walking around looking for a man. Oh yes, she had seen a one. It only was a crazy masochistic ninja who was covered in her own blood, since she had been looking for Gin-chan as usual, but got her daily 'spanking' instead. The young Amanto-girl sighed, for she knew that her life is full of crazy people, so this wasn't totally going to affect her anyway. Even if this woman beside her was reeking very strongly of blood and murderous aura.

But only one more step and Kagura stopped, making her companions stand on their tracks too.

"We've arrived uh-huh!" she announced, standing in front of a familiar apartment, which had a wooden sign and on it was written; 'Otose's snack house'.

"What's this place Kagura-chan?" Soyo asked curiously, ready to learn always more.

"A place of rent-collectors uh-huh!" She slid the door open forcefully after the loud exclaim which will soon cause an ache to Miyako's keen ears.

"We are not open today, cannot you see the sign?" A voice resounded from inside the apartment which sounded like a cranky old witch whose magic powers got sealed off.

"Good afternoon, Kagura-sama." One of the occupants of the place greeted formally, without any affection or opposite feelings, to be specific- mechanically.

The young princess was standing behind her friend, feeling a bit shy when she stepped in after her friend to a small modest bar. She hadn't used to be in such a confined space, even though a few hours before she was in Yorozuya-house upstairs, but that was a different case, since it wasn't a place of strangers.

As she remembered that Kagura had told her that bars were meant for frustrated poor men who drink their miserable life to oblivion, she couldn't help but to be slightly surprised that this kind of place was owned by women only, even though Kagura said that usually men's reason to feel miserable are women in the first place. It could be really amazing how things rotate, sometimes.

Half-open scarlet eyes glanced at an old woman in her sixties, behind the bar-table and she was holding a cigarette between her fingers. The old, dark, brown-haired lady turned her tired-looking eyes at the uninvited visitors. "Well, if it isn't the China-girl. You came here to eat all our food again?"

"Not really." The young China-girl walked in boldly, which Soyo was incapable to do for she was too shy and modest to encounter in strangers houses like her friend, but slowly followed her friend cautiously, feeling a bit curious about Kagura's far-out friends. Especially she, who was watching television and ignoring the incomers entirely. Soyo's eyes widened in surprise after catching a glimpse of cat-ears, even though she had seen before more unusual high-classed Amantos visiting her older brother; but those shouldn't be compared to the overly cute cat-ears! So the young princess waited with round eyes and blushing cheeks to see the cat-eared woman more accurately. And then that woman turned around...

"Oi, China-bitch, when's your rotten boss going to pay his rent, huh? Because of that perm-haired bastard, my salary had decreased." The cat-eared former Cats-Punch organization's thief eyed disgusted at Kagura.

And so Soyo's hopes of a cute cat-girl collapsed right before her brown eyes, not only was this woman unexpectedly ugly but her attitude and foreign accent were reflecting her ugly face too.

"Don't tell me that good-for-nothing's problems. He's probably lazing off again, why don't you ask him?" Kagura said, while sitting one of the chairs beside the long bar-table and leant her elbows on the table looking totally uninterested.

The ninja-suited woman slid the door behind her close, so the drizzling water wouldn't soak the floor, but it didn't take too long for a green-haired, braided woman with pale skin to start sweeping the floor diligently with a giant mop.

Miyako stood out of her way with a blank face, cautious that if she didn't move away from her spot she would get swept by the green-haired young woman along with the dirt.

"Huh? Don't talk as if you were any better, leech." The woman with a special accent mocked annoyingly, making Soyo surprised to no end, for never could she know that there are things that even cat-ears could not make cute.

"Leech? Hell no, don't compare me to him. Ya know, I even came here for a matter of work uh-huh." Said the young China-styled girl with an arrogant smirk and pointing Miyako, who was standing near the door and looking around with a disinterested look.

"Huh? So these are your customers?" Otose finally talked while puffing out smoke.

Kagura's unexpected behavior which was alike to certain half-assed silver-head, changed suddenly and shook her head with a smile. "Only Miyako-chan is a customer."

"So this is your friend, huh? She smells like money and riches, who the hell is she?" Eyes explored Soyo intently, only inches away from Soyo-hime's face, making her lean back with an awkward smile and not pretty sure how to deal with the situation.. maybe smiling would be the best?

"Soyo-chan, my friend. She lives in a castle, so I thought showing her around would be fine uh-huh!" The red-haired girl told with a frankly smile and clearly excited having Soyo with her and having the liberty to do whatever they wanted, without nosy cops or poor men trying to send her back to that damned castle for money exchange. On second thought, Kagura had nice memories of that castle after asking the Shogun to play with her and Gin-chan, then destroying the entrance with their 'toy'.

The old owner of the bar frowned, as if she had heard that name somewhere earlier, but since her aged mind wasn't at the best, the answer wouldn't appear instantly. Well, if this young girl lives in a castle, she must be someone who's blessed with money and fame; it shouldn't be a wonder if there are familiarities in this girl.

"Castle, you say?!That's seriously amazing! Why the hell would you want to walk off with that idiot while you could live with riches and wash your body with money?! Are you stupid, huh? You're one of those bastards who say; 'Money can't buy happiness', HAH?!" Catherine shouted on Soyo's face, as if she was kilometers away and Soyo takes a step back displeased, she never got scolded this loudly and rudely at the same time. Not knowing what to do, she smiled awkwardly.

"Cut it, Catherine." Otose said for Soyo's ears' sake, but the woman in question just kept her one-sided intent eye-contact on the young dark-haired princess. "Anyways, are you sure about this, China-girl? After living her life in a castle, how can she suddenly cope with commoner's life? Making sudden decision like those can affect your whole life, young girl." The aged woman told Soyo. But she got no reply. Then she opened her wrinkled lids and noticed no one even paid attention for her wise words in the first place.

Kagura was on Catherine for bothering her friend like that, when Soyo was trying to calm the wrestling duo down without merits.

"Oi, don't ignore me!" Otose snapped, but nobody gave the old woman attention, she sighed deeply, feeling like those preaching old people, who got ignored very often in the streets. No way was she that old and crazy, she thought as she looked at the other incomer who was rather silent.

Otose wasn't 100% sure was that person a woman or not, but putting that aside she seemed to get very well along with Tama. Both of them rather not talked very much and had blank faces then the black-suited woman pulled out a picture from her pocket.

"Have you seen this man before?" The red-eyed woman asked Tama.

The green-haired maid-android stared at the picture for a while, exploring all the faces she had seen before. It took dozens of seconds.. Then already minutes. Miyako dropped her hand, looking dulled, when the woman in front of her stood there motionless with a glazed look. The red-eyed stranger raised her hands and shook them in front of two glazed brown pupils, so she would wake up from her daydreams, but she kept stationary.

"Oi, what happened to her?" Miyako asked Otose, dropping her hand to her side.

"She's probably looking through her datas or whatever." The old woman said and then took a drag from her cigarette, not paying attention of the two swords hanging on Miyako's belt.

"A machine?" Two red eyes looked at the pale-skinned android and with a raised brow studied at her. "Well.. I'm very good with machines. I can fix it for you." She said with a monotone voice.

"No, it's not necessary, you know. She goes to that mode time to time-"

And a very loud crack was heard.

Otose's tired eyes widened from shock and disbelief, her cigarette dropped from between her fingers. She was the only one in the room who seemed to take notice, for Kagura and Catherine were still on each other's throats and Soyo trying to separate them before they ended up killing each other.

"There you go. It is completely fixed now." Miyako said her blank face at Otose's direction; as if there was nothing wrong with ripping Tama's earphone off, no, on top of that she looked like she was waiting for gratitude for breaking the poor android-woman. Even Otose, who wasn't very fond with machines, knew that something like ripping Tama's ear off would only cause damage.

"You're welcome." She said closing her eyes, like a saint who saved their poor machine.

"'Welcome' my ass! You just ripped her earphone off instead of fixing her!" Otose ran at her collapsed second-daughter, taking her in her arms clearly concerned of Tama. And no, not only because Tama was the one who usually did the cleaning and kept everything tidy around. For Otose, Tama was almost like a daughter to her, ignoring that she's a machine and of course her soft heart would be damaged if something were to happen to any of her daughters... Even if she wouldn't reflect her sadness to anyone.

"O-Otose-sama.." The human-looking machine whined in the verge of her destruction. "I can see strange light before me..." Tama tried to take control of her flawed system, but the damage was too big.

"No, don't go to the light, Tama!"

Miyako stared expressionlessly the touching mother-daughter scenery before her, unable to admit that all of this was her fault.

"Tamaaa!" The red-haired Yato-girl ran to her collapsed friend, forgetting her fight with the annoying cat-woman and she goes on her knees beside Tama, worried look on her face.

"K-Kagura-sama.. P-Please take care of cleaning the floors properly..." She said coughing oil between.

"Is that the only thing you care for?!" The old woman snapped.

"Of course, I'll make sure to wipe Catherine's dirty ears too uh-huh!" Kagura exclaimed, tears in her eyes and holding Tama's hand tightly, almost crushing it.

"Die you rotten bitch!" Catherine yells irritated and pointing at her enemy... Well, as if there was anyone she got along with without money.

"A-And please save the Korean Drama re-runs, s-so I could watch them later..." She asked again.

"Will do, so please stop talking..." Kagura sobbed emotionally next to Otose. Soyo looked them worriedly and moved her gaze to Miyako, as if she should do something about the situation. Catherine on the other hand looked at Miyako with a disgusted look, telling her that she must do something about the situation or then prepare to pay mountains of money.

The red-eyed woman let out a deep sigh, frustrated of these ungrateful people. "Don't worry. I'll fix her in no time, I promise." She told them as she squatted beside the unconscious machine and ready to keep her promise.

But how could've they known that it was a big mistake to trust her, even she had promised?

**~x~**

* * *

"Gengai_ jii-san_!"

There were wet steps remained on the dry floor, when the red-haired Yato girl dashed into an open garage, where lived an aged man, whose loud mechanical chores were quietened under the rainy the day. Miyako and Soyo were behind the brash Yato-girl, being much calmer and wondering who they were intruding now.

"Tama needs to be repaired!" She exclaims, her voice full of drive and concern.

"What's up with the noisy appearance, you're disturbing my neighbors." The mechanic inventor turned around after stopping to deal with the small objects, he glanced through his industrial grade goggles to see the trio holding Tama's body.

A weird-clothed woman in blacks is holding Tama's head like a football and her headphone in her other hand, while the young familiar Yato-girl laid the headless body in front of Gengai, making the old man boggle from the headless body at first. Kagura sat down with a demanding look, like Gengai's purpose was just to fix all the stuff they always broke.

"What the hell have you done to her now?" He sighed while looking at Tama's laying headless body, not even going to ask if it was them who caused this, for he knew that the Yato-girl tended to destroy many of his machines, including his golden son-machine Saburo, so why would Tama be saved?

"She stopped breathing Sensei!" Kagura told him with a loyal-subordinate-look.

"But she's a machine, she never breathed in the first place!" He snapped. "And how can she breath without a head?!"

"Take a hold of yourself, Sensei! You cannot break in the pressure uh-huh!" She shouted and shook the old man, holding his shoulder too strongly.

The scarlet-eyed woman squatted next to Kagura, holding Tama's head by hair. "I tried to fix her, but her ear came off instead and then the head came off next." Miyako told with an expressionless face. "I think you must sew it together, Sensei." She added and nodded, feeling really wise.

"Who the hell are you calling Sensei?!" Gengai snapped after Kagura let go of him, still feeling his head really dizzy.

"Tamaaa! Come baack!" Kagura started to give her CPR, as she had seen to be happening in the drama-shows when someone's lover died, but after pressing on Tama's chest, the all chest-area got crushed under her.

"OI! Stoop! You're only furthering the damage!" The old mechanic tried to make the overly strong girl stop rampaging and causing harder damage, which will be more difficult to repair.

At the same time, the young noble princess looked around the place which was just like a garage, walking down the halls, which would've been really dark without the electric lamps that were attached on the roof and it would've been really empty without the metal-machines that look pretty incomplete.

Soyo-Hime squatted in front of one that didn't really got much of attention to its semblance and suddenly remembers that these ones resemble those that shot fireworks at summer-festivals while ago, when Soyo was still on the castle and she looked up to nighty sky, which were filled with pretty colors.

She patted that robot with a soft smile, almost like thanking them for good memories. But then, a large shadow forms on top of the robot as if there was something behind her, sheltering from the electric light and she looked over her shoulder, her eyes met a big machine-robot standing in front of her. Wincing from surprise, she jumped up, scared of the tall and large robot who stood in front of her motionless. Soyo couldn't deny that the robot was scary standing in front of her without a reason. Wait, was it forbidden to touch the mechanic's works without permission? Maybe that robot was just a guardian, who was there to protect the other machines. As she realized the robot wasn't moving, she slipped from the place and crept next to her friend.

"As I said, she seemed to like listening to music, so I took her headphones off, or her headache would've gotten worse." Miyako chatted with the old man.

"What the hell are you talking about?! Where the hell did you got the idea that she was listening to music?!" Gengai shouted at the woman really irritated of her ridiculous stating and trying to set Tama's head to her body at the same time.

"K-Kagura-chan.. What is that? It seems to be following me around.." Long black-haired girl asked Kagura, catching her attention and she turned her head to see a rather familiar robot, which she liked to 'play' with.

"No need to be shy Soyo-chan!" Kagura pulled her in front of the large robot. "Saburo-chan does everything you ask uh-huh!" she encourages her insecure friend. "Get me something to drink, you ugly piece of junk." She ordered Saburo, like he was the lowest slave of all.

Instead of getting a drink, a fist flew against her, but the machine got its hand ripped off. Even if it's a machine, it shouldn't underestimate the power of the so called 'Queen of the Kabukicho'.

"Want your other hand off, huh?!" and at that Saburo's locker opened and two mugs and an energy drink on a tray.

The young princess smiled sweetly and takes it in her hand. "Thank you, ugly piece of junk."

Kagura takes a big gulp of the drink and spits it on the robot, she received it from. "Who wants to drink some crap like _Pipovitan-D_?!" She shouted while stomping on the machine. "Give me _Koronamin-C_!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing to Saburoo?!" Gengai dashed for the rescue for his son-machine, before it would end up in the same state as Tama. They had some incredible skill to destroy everything around them and these kinds of people he should mostly avoid and protect his sons from.

He had to get rid of these girls- the nightmare of every mechanic, before the real destruction of the Yato-girl begins.

**~x~**

* * *

The rain had stopped again and the trio wondered was the sky making fun of them, for there were moments where it rained heavily or slightly, but then there were moments were it stopped as if there wasn't rain at all. But one of them cannot help but remembering her home-planet and smiled when she remembered how fun it was to jump from puddles to another and getting all wet.

The other, the princess, just raised her palms up in the air. She used to be hurried inside when it was raining, of course it would be inappropriate and unhealthy for the princess stay under the rain and catch a cold. But instead of catching cold or feeling scared, she felt really refreshed at this moment.

Third person under the rain was looking ahead, unfamiliar with districts of ordinary humans and holding adequate stack of copied pictures, which the old man earlier apprehended to give her if she was searching for the man in the picture. Miyako was grateful of this gesture, but she was aware that the man only wanted get rid of them. Also, he had no idea who was the man in the picture. To be specific, Miyako didn't know too who the man in the picture was, for her memory was limited and in unusual way, because she only remembered only couple of years back of her whole life. Everything else was wiped off to oblivion and pitch dark. It really didn't matter to Miyako, because as a working full-time assassin was almost like a dog's, she had no room for other feelings, which probably her past held.

But now it had come to that point where her mind and her body didn't work in harmony anymore. Was there something her body- no, her subconscious self knew that her mind was trying to tell? Was there something she had to know?

_"Have I.. met you before?" He asked looking down on Miyako and squinting his crimson eyes, as if he was struggling to remember something.. or someone._

And when their eyes met after that, she felt a sudden compulsion to run away, to escape, to disappear.. Only away from those eyes, there was something in that man which got her to retreat immediately. He ignited feelings she had never felt for as far as she remembers, feelings that cannot be described by mere words.

Miyako sighed deeply and very frustrated. She just doesn't want to end up in that situation again, sure she could've just stood there and ask that silver haired man what was going on, but she had a sudden urge to just stay away from that man. It was time to remember, in order to understand what happened and avoid that situation from repeating at any cost, because it wasn't the first time her body worked against her mind. Yes, it happened once before and she surely paid for it and not wanting to suffer for unknown reasons again, she decided to find out her odd behavior from her memories, before it'll cost her own life. And hence, she was trying to find this man in the picture; he's the only one who may have something to do with the Aka Oni's previous life.

Digging her pocket, she took out a stick which had a round candy attached on top of it and a paper wrapped around it. She unwrapped the paper and took the red strawberry lollipop inside her mouth and letting the tart strawberry flavor spread inside her mouth, trying to soothe herself from too much thinking, for she had used to be a one who always did what was told to, but knowing now that she was not alone and two girls were doing their very own best helping her, soothed her along with the lollipop.

"Our next destination: _Anego's_ house!" Kagura said with a smile, standing in front of the entrance of 'Kodoukan dojo', they stepped in arriving to a rather big household, comparing on what they had been visiting while ago.

Miyako and Soyo strolled behind Kagura inside the household and with a while, they stepped with wet shoes on the corridor and after the short jaunt, Kagura took off her shoes, which Miyako and Soyo repeated doing. The door slid open itself, before Kagura opened it or knocked and when someone was about to step out, the young China-girl threw herself on a woman, who was the only female of the Shimura household.

"Anegooo!" She wrapped her arms around the pretty lady's waist tightly, who had a similar ponytail as Miyako, but shorter. She sure was pretty with her peach-colored _yukata_ and soft smile.

"Ara, Kagura-chan you surprised me." She chuckled.

"Anego, I missed you! Just if you knew how idiot Gin-chan and Pattsan had been towards me, they wanted to sell me and Soyo-chan for money!" She complained on her older-sister-role's chest, remembering how the male duo whispered maliciously about handing her friend away, in exchange for money.

"Don't worry, I'll teach them a lesson next time I meet them." Otae said with a smile on her lips, but clearly irritated, for Kagura was the only girl in their group, they should treat her better, not bully her.

Soyo was surprised seeing Kagura behaving like a cute little sister- of course she was cute and fitted to be a loyal little sister, but since she was so independent and strong , it gave Soyo no room to think that there was actually someone who took care of her.

"Oh, so you're Soyo-chan." Brown pretty eyes studied Soyo-Hime, more politely than a certain crazy cat-woman who had an amazing nose for money.

The young princess nodded after snapping from her thoughts, bowed down politely. "It is pleasure to meet you."

"Oh no, you don't have to be so formal." Another sweet chuckle. "Come in, come in." Otae invited them in a room, and they all sat at the table.

After Otae chatted with the two youngsters, who told her all about their adventures and fun, she realized rather neglected woman sitting opposite her and staring at the walls, as if they were much more interesting than their talks.

"Oh, I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself. My name is Shimura Tae, may I ask yours?" She asked from the quiet woman, who was sitting her chin on her palm.

Soulless eyes which were looking at the building, turned to look at Shimura Tae's innocent brown pupils. "Miyako."

"Miyako-chan is a customer of mine uh-huh! She was looking for a man in this picture, have you seen him?" Kagura asked as she pulled one picture of the stack close Otae's face.

She took the picture on her hands to look at him more accurately. "Unfortunately, I haven't. He's handsome though." Otae commented with a smile.

"Yes, he is. Maybe I should get the same hairstyle as his, so then Otae-san will start looking at me differently." A certain man who oddly resembled a gorilla talked from until their table, surprising Soyo and sliding his head next the princess, as if he really wanted to get a hit on his face. "Nee, what do you say Otae-san, will you start loving me if I grew my hair-"but he never got his answer or to end his sentence, for a strong punch send him through a wall.

Miyako looked awkwardly away, sucking her lollipop when Soyo's mouth dropped open taken aback from this woman's strength. Now it wasn't a wonder why Kagura saw her as a 'lady boss', or behaved like a little sister around this woman. Her monstrous powers reminded Soyo of a mountain gorilla, but of course she didn't say that; she didn't want to be sent flying against the wall next.

"So, why were you looking for this man, if I may ask Miyako-san? Is he a relative of yours?" She kept the conversation with a smile, as if she never had destroyed a wall and almost killed a man.

Miyako shook her head, trying to forget just what happened seconds ago and realized that she had gotten Kagura's and Soyo's attention too, indeed they haven't even asked who the man in the picture was to Miyako. Red eyes rolled, thinking that it might come to be a bit awkward if she wouldn't answer and expect them to help her, so she put the empty stick in her pocket and stared at the table's wood surface.

"I don't know."

Kagura and Soyo frowned the same time when Otae tilted her head curious about this mysterious ninja-suited woman. First were those clothes, as if she had been in a war recently not to mention two weapons laying on the floor next to her. Was she a princess-soldier, Otae wondered, but then decided to take this step by step.

"You.. don't know?" Otae asked again, trying to push the woman in front of her to be more specific.

"I don't remember." She answered, eyes still on the table. "Anything." She confirmed with one word.

"Then, where did you get this picture?" Kagura asked confused about that Miyako was trying to find someone who she didn't know, when she thought that this man in the picture was her lover and was too shy to ask about it.

"I had it as long as I remember... Without knowing the reason, I realized that I was unable to sleep without holding it and his smile just seemed to be comforting me every time I would be down." Red eyes gazed at the man in the picture. "He may not be important here." She pointed her head with her index finger, pressing her temple- presumably meaning her mind. "But here he is extremely important." She lowered her hand in a fist on her chest- meaning her heart.

The young China-girl couldn't help but feel bad for Miyako, she cannot imagine what it would feel like to be unaware of herself or her past. Her customer must've been lonely, and no one knew better than her what loneliness felt like.

"Miyako-san.. What if he..? He's not-"

"I know there might be a possibility for that.. But I want to know him. Who he was, what was he to me? It is much better than left him forgotten, like he never existed." She said with a longing look on her eyes, while looking up on the ceiling and eyes showing some kind of sadness, as if she wasn't remembered and she felt like she never existed in anyone's eyes. She wouldn't want anyone to go through that, even if her memories would turn out to be purely painful.

The long-haired princess glanced over to look at Miyako who she was afraid of the first time, but she was as lonely as her friend guessed and needed just help. "Miyako-san, I hope we find him and you'll regain your memory." Said she who felt her eyes getting wet, but her smile didn't fade.

Reddish bored eyes watched pair of harmless eyes that got wet like a soil during the raining season. Never did someone cry for her or showed her any affection; it was an unusual sight and she didn't know how to react to this situation. But there was a slight warmness creeping onto her, was this what they called kindness of a human?

Kagura viewed her tearing friend with a sorrowful look and Miyako, she would have never known who this man was to her certainly, and how could she when the woman didn't reflect much of her feelings on people's sight? Blue orbs threatening to get wet too, she stood up and took a tight grip of her dark-purple umbrella.

"We will do our very best uh-huh!" Kagura grinned wildly, lightening the mood.

Soyo nodded entreatingly and stood up next, a bit clumsier than her friend, but at least as determined, "Yeah!"

Miyako gazed at the two young smiling girls, who were ready to help her for exchange of nothing. They didn't even know the woman who was sitting in front of her, yet they were ready to waste their time helping her. What if they knew that she had hurt humans and even killed most of her time? Would they help her if they knew how much suffering she had caused to living beings just because she was told to? Surveying those smiling faces, she realized that those aren't smile that would judge her. Their only wish is to help.

After the realization, Miyako got up hiding her slight smile creeping on her lips, despite that a certain ponytailed woman noticed this and smiled relieved because Miyako found very good helpers beside her.

"Thank you Anego! Bye bye!" Kagura greeted while leaving.

"It was nice to meet you Anego-san, good day." Soyo bowed shortly, following her friend.

"Wait a moment!" Otae stopped them and left to seek something quickly from a close room and stepped back a lunch-box on her hands. "I made some _tamagoyak_i you can eat, while you're searching." The woman said with a sweet smile, although what she was holding was nothing close to sweet. Kagura was hoping she could avoid this, but no, the author just had to make her go through this. In the lunch-box there was a black object that doesn't look like to be from Earth, only lets out a deadly aura whose saying; 'Eat me and you'll die', it was as if the food really was meant to kill someone. Peeking inside the lunch-box, the young princess quailed in fright. Miyako kept her stoic expression, because food was food to her, some had the better presentation than others, but in reality it is done by the same ingredients.

"Hai, thank you very much we're gonna eat it while we're at it!" Kagura claimed as she shut the top of the lunch-box, then took it from her Anego and ran off before Otae would think of giving everyone a lunch-box of their own.

"Good luck!" Otae wished kindly while waving and a smile crossing her lips. Miyako followed the two girls who dashed off and waving to the other ponytailed woman.

**~x~**

* * *

Kagura and Soyo stared at Miyako with a disgusted and with a disbelieving expression as the woman beside them was eating the dark matter with a blank expression, voluntarily, as if it was as good as food, which it wasn't.

They walked from another house to another, asking have they seen the man in the picture, but getting no clue. They attached that same picture to the walls, stakes, trees, anything that stood still and where passers-by would notice. Then they asked everyone who passed by, civil, children, women, men, elder and even homeless men lying in the corner. Even there weren't much people outside, they didn't miss a chance from asking.

Later they stopped before a 'Drag Clubhouse'-named host club, Soyo tried not to look too surprised when she sees men dressed as a man. A fairly stalwart man, who had make-up on and was dressed as a woman glared down at the three visitors, he had a visible whisker even though it was obvious he had tried to shave it off.

"Whatdya want?" He or she asked with a low threatening voice, which he didn't try to suppress or turn into girly.

"Have you seen this man in the picture?" Kagura asked showing a picture to him.

A quick peek and as everyone else, he answered; "No."

The trio obviously got disappointed, for they were tired of looking for this man and getting not a slightest clue. Was not that man in the picture from earth? Or maybe he just didn't live anywhere near Kabukicho.

The former Joui-soldier, Saigou Tokumori, glared at Miyako interested. "You."

Red eyes glared at him back, showing that she's hearing him.

"I bet you would make good money, interested working here?" He asked while smiling at her suggestively.

She sighed disappointed, since she was hoping he was about to say something on the subject. "No. I'm a woman."

"Huh. Shame." Saigou shifted his gaze and walked back into his _Okama_ bar, when Kagura and Soyo were asking the insiders about the picture, the little princess was surpassing herself by asking Okama men without changing her smiling expression.

Miyako felt her lips slightly curving up at the scenery before her, but then noticed she was being watched by the lilac-wigged man. "You're lucky to have kids working that eagerly for you, you know that? As a fulltime mother, I know very well how hard it is to make children pay attention." Saigou told her, almost making her laugh out for calling himself a mother. But then she shifted her gaze to glance the scary-looking man-woman and nodded.

"Yeah. I owe them." Miyako said silently, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do all of this alone. Especially when she hadn't been fond with other people and don't know how to interact with them. Almost all the time when a person got near her, she would get immediately on her guard and waiting for them to make a move, because she had been used to have people trying to hurt her.. but it didn't happen this time. Instead of being attacked, she was getting all the help she needed.

Maybe Miyako was going to be okay even if she wouldn't know her memory or her identity which was tucked away at the moment. There might be a chance that her lack of knowledge could be restored by something as much amazing. Perhaps she only needed this kindness, warmth, or whatever was building up her mood.

It took a moment when she found herself looking up to grey sky that doesn't look as gloomy as there were two smiling and laughing girls with her, clearing the grey clouds from her eyes.

…

"So this is the next and the scariest destination uh-huh.." Kagura said seriously, hiding behind a store-sign cautiously, so she wouldn't get seen by.. what? What or who could be so horrifying to get the little Yato-monster who dared to oppose the police and invade the Edo-castle, shrieking from fear? Soyo was alerted from this, thus squatted behind Kagura and Miyako next to her.

"Wh-Who lives there, Kagura-chan?" More like what lives in there? Soyo noticed her friend was gazing at a huge tree, which looks to be like a unique species which wouldn't grow normally on earth, maybe a foreign plant? If the tree was that huge and suspicious, she wondered what kind of person could live in it.

"Gin-chan told me that there lives a beast that's here to conquer earth with his vanguard troops uh-huh." She shivered slightly.

Red eyes caught a large green-skinned Amanto who was sheltering his flowers by bringing them inside his tree-house. Sure, he had horns and red pupils who made him look like the Satan itself, but then there was one thing about him that solved all that away.

"That man, you mean? He cannot be bad.. look." Miyako pointed out his head with her finger. "He has a flower on his head; anyone with a flower on his head cannot be bad." She noted as she stood up and approached the man, but Kagura resisted and grabbed Miyako's sleeve.

"No, don't go! Don't rush to your death, Miyako-chan! You haven't even found the person in the picture, you cannot die before that! The readers will be disappointed and this story will have no longer a meaning uh-huh!" Kagura shrieked with no merits, for she was shrugged off and the woman walked to the 'beast'.

"Hello there." Miyako greeted with a nonchalant attitude.

Hedoro was taken aback by this, for never was he approached this openly. "G-Good afternoon."

Miyako studied him for a moment, but he seemed harmless. "Have you ever seen this man?" She showed him the picture.

"I'm sorry, I haven't." He said with a low intimidating voice.

Kagura on the other hand stayed there beside her friend, refusing to sacrifice herself or to set herself in danger after she warned Miyako. If she wants to rush to her death, so be it.

"Kagura-chan.. The 'beast' doesn't look that evil. Maybe he's just a florist?" Soyo looked at the foreigner man who was chatting with Miyako. One thing she had learned today and that was to never judge anyone for their appearance, after she met the woman with cute cat-ears.

"No Soyo-chan, those flowers are his vanguard troops uh-huh!" but she was ignored as the young princess joined Miyako's and Hedoro's conversation.

Kagura's jaw dropped open. She didn't know the people around her were really that suicidal. As time slowly passed by, she approached her friends and her neighbor slowly and very cautiously.. if cautious meant by taking one step and hesitating to return to her spot every second.

The street was quiet, but it always been this silent for everyone was scared to even pass the suspicious monster-neighbor.

"Oh, Kagura-chan you decided to join us?" Soyo smiled at her friend.

Kagura walked behind Miyako and peered at Hedoro in front of her, still scared.

"Oh, hello there Kagura-san. How have you been?" Hedoro asked politely, but that only made Kagura shudder.

"F-Fine.. th-thanks.." She murmured burying her face on Miyako's back.

"So we're taking our leave now." Miyako said, glancing at the red-headed girl behaving like a 3-years old kid who's visiting the kindergarten the first time.

As they were waving their hands to the gentle monster and taking their leave, running steps could be heard coming towards them. The trio turned around to see who was running towards them, in such a hurry.

But who else than the black-uniformed men, who only wanted to capture the princess.. for the second time?

"Hime-samaa!"

Kagura clenched her teeth as she heard the men calling them out, they had noticed Soyo, alright. Miyako on the other hand yawned and placed another lollipop on her mouth.

"What up? They're after us?" She asked the young girl beside her.

"Yeah, they want to lock Soyo-chan back in that castle uh-huh." She looked determined. "As if I would let that happen."

The black uniformed men approached them and Kagura knocked them off rather easily with her umbrella. To this Miyako raised her eyebrow surprised, seems like this little girl was strong after all.

But more men were bound to arrive.

Hence, they ran away from more men in the streets. Kagura holding Soyo's hand and showing the way to Miyako, sometimes taking left road and sometimes passing familiar shops and causing some agitation to the citizens as the uniformed men were running behind them. It didn't take long to realize more Bakufu-dogs had meddled in this and trapped the girls.

Miyako calculated in her mind how many men had besieged them, leaving them no way out. Kagura was not going to give up, no way, after all that trouble she had went through to escape the castle with Soyo.. and after having that much fun with her best friend. She refused to let her down.

A certain man stepped in front of them through the black uniformed men, wearing a different pattern than other man and a cigarette on his mouth. "Now, you've fooled around enough. Time to go back, Hime-sama." Raven haired man said.

Kagura recognized the mayo-freak, that's why she knew that this was going to be hard, for he had all these Shinsengumi-men around him and increasing annoyingly as mosquito bites.

"You're not the one to decide that uh-huh! I will not let you take Soyo-chan away that easily!" She exclaimed charging at the Vice-commander of Shinsengumi.

"Stop, Kagura-chan!"

Kagura stopped on her tracks to glance at Soyo.

"I... I really had fun today with you. The outside world is so much fun with you and I had learned new things and people today. But I cannot stay here with you forever, if I would vanish it would cause grief for so many people." Soyo said while looking down. "But thank you for listening to my selfish proposals once again..." She smiled looking at her friend blue orbs.

"I wish even after this, you still could be my friend."

"Soyo-chan..." This was a familiar scene to Kagura, it happened the first time when they first met. And this was the same feeling she felt when she couldn't do anything for Soyo.. She would be like a locked bird forever that won't get freed if Kagura wouldn't do anything now.

"Of course she's going to be your friend." Miyako butted in the conversation rudely. "Right?" Her red eyes glared at Kagura, who fell silent moments ago, pushing her to talk.

"Yeah..." Kagura forced a smile and respect for her decision.

The dark-haired princess returned the smile and turned to look at Hijikata. "I-It was me, who pressured Kagura-chan to do all this outrageous things, please do not punish her for my recklessness!" Soyo begged to save her friend.

Hijikata puffed his smoke out to the thin air. He sure heard something like the China-girl had kidnapped the princess and the two other members were arrested. But since her highness was so persistent to prove the girl's innocence and he had better things to do than arrest little girls, "I'll set you off with a warning, and next time something like this happens you'll get a trip to jail." He warned her.

"See you around, Kagura-chan and Miyako-san. I hope you'll find what you were looking for." She said with a bolder smile.

Miyako nodded with a blank expression and waved her hand for goodbyes. It was unlikely that they were going to meet each other ever again.

And the uniformed men took their leave.

The two remained to look at Soyo as she was leaded away with the Shinsengumi men, until she disappeared from their sight.

"It's time for me to leave too. Thanks for all the trouble." Miyako said, thinking about of finishing her mission. If there was going to be the silver-haired man, she would deal with him later, but the more she stays here, the more it is likely for her to be in trouble.

"But there's someone you haven't asked uh-huh. Even though that person is lazy-ass-perm, he sure knows lots of faces." She said trying to recover from the sorrow of losing her friend.

"Ah? Then one last visit couldn't kill me."

**~x~**

* * *

"Aah, this gloomy sky is just killing me. Just how long will this rainy season keep going?" A lazy voice complained. He was walking with a pair of glasses on the Kabukicho streets, tired of the long walking session from the Mimawaragumi headquarters back to his house. It was just too troublesome with the draining water too.

"Gin-san, we're lucky to even walk through the streets of Edo. I know it might sound cruel; but without the assassin we wouldn't be able to feel the rain ever again." The young man retorts. "Yes, I am even grateful to be free even my handcuffs weren't removed.."

"..TO HELL WITH THAT! Why couldn't they remove my handcuffs?! Why do I have to walk with handcuffs as if I was some kind of thug!? People are looking at me as if I was a freak, they're totally looking at me with a disgusted look!" He complains, loudly.

But the silver-headed man only yawns at this and as soon as Shinpachi mentioned the assassin, he started thinking.. Who the hell was that red-eyed assassin? He wouldn't know that, of course, for that person had a shinobi shozoku covering the bodylines and facial features. Only scarlet piercing eyes could be seen. Even that is that, the person possessed rather familiar atmosphere as if he was somehow fond to that. Could it be really possible he knew that person from somewhere? And why would that person run away from him, what the hell was going on? Gintoki furrowed his brows as he felt a sudden headache, he was thinking way too much. Just going with the damn flow and doing as he liked was his way of living, so if that assassin only wanted to ran off, then so be it. He wasn't going to think any more of this, he had his damn Jump waiting for him anyways.

"Gintoki!" He heard someone calling him, from beneath. He raised his gaze to see a long dark-haired samurai running against him, then stopping in front of him and panting heavily.

"What is it, Zura?" He picked his nose with a nonchalant expression.

"It's not Zura.." he breathed out heavily and took a deep breath. "It's Katsura!"

"Whatever, ya had something to say?"

"Gintoki, you.." The Joui-extremist looked at his former comrade intently. "Why would you... Why would you do something like this? What's the meaning of this?" Katsura showed a paper in Gintoki's face.

The silver-haired samurai took it in his hands and looked at it for a while, memorizing the facial features before him. First he blinked and then squinted his eyes, as if he had sighting problems but no—there was a picture in his hands and in that picture was someone who he knew, someone very important.

**HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS MAN? IF YOU HAVE, CALL YOROZUYA GIN-CHAN**

**NUMBER: *****-*******

**THANK YOU!**

His crimson eyes widened as he couldn't process anything that was going on. The man in the picture was not someone to be found... The man in the picture was...

"Shouyo-sensei..."

**~End of Second chapter~**

* * *

_jii-san- old man_

_Pipovitan-D- meaning Lipovitan-D_

_Koronamin C- Oronamin C, both of them energy drinks._

_Anego- boss lady_

_yukata- a casual summer kimono_

_Tamagoyaki- grilled eggs_

_okama- transvestite_

* * *

**A/N:** So, was it surprising that the man was Shouyou? I hope it was. This chapter didn't have much much humor, but as the story progresses the humor lessens. But I still hope it entertained you! As what comes to the reviews, I am really grateful and I am willing to take every bit of your advice and critics. Thank you to followers and favorites!

**Happy guest**: Th-Thank you very much, I'm happy you liked it!

**con-connie**: Kiva että tykkäsit vaikka et tosin pidä Gintamasta, shihi. Kirjoitan niin nopeasti kun pystyn.. eli kuukaudessa kerran, lol. Mut kyl se siitä. Nährääään!

**Mousel**: Thank you very much! Haven't seen you while a while in the chat but I'm hoping you're doing well :D Please keep reading!

**Guest**: S-Sorry, it took so long! *bows* I-I'm not that fast with writing, so please bear with me.

Once again thank you for the reviews and support! *smile*

**~x~**


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